Compare the2026 Ford Escape FHEVVS 2026 Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid

The Escape FHEV has standard Post Collision Braking, which automatically apply the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Escape FHEV. But it costs extra on the Santa Fe Hybrid.

Both the Escape FHEV and the Santa Fe Hybrid have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Ford Escape FHEV is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Ford Escape FHEV is safer than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

There are over 3 times as many Ford dealers as there are Hyundai dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Escape FHEV’s warranty.

The Escape FHEV has a standard “limp home system” to keep drivers from being stranded if most or all of the engine’s coolant is lost. The engine will run on only half of its cylinders at a time, reduce its power and light a warning lamp on the dashboard so the driver can get to a service station for repairs. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a lost coolant limp home mode, so a coolant leak could strand you or seriously damage the truck’s engine.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Escape FHEV first among compact suvs in their 2025 Initial Quality Study. The Santa Fe Hybrid isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Ford vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai With 14 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Ford higher than Hyundai.

As tested in Motor Trend the Ford Escape FHEV is faster than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Escape FHEV gets better mileage than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

The Escape FHEV has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Ford Escape FHEV higher (7 out of 10) than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid (6). This means the Escape FHEV produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Santa Fe Hybrid every 15,000 miles.

The Escape FHEV has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Escape FHEV’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Santa Fe Hybrid:

The Escape FHEV stops shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid:

The Escape FHEV has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Santa Fe Hybrid; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Escape FHEV ST-Line Elite executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Santa Fe Calligraphy Hybrid HTRAC AWD (28.2 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Escape FHEV’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Santa Fe Hybrid’s (37.2 feet vs. 37.9 feet).

The Ford Escape FHEV may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 900 pounds less than the Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid.

The Escape FHEV is 10.1 inches shorter than the Santa Fe Hybrid, making the Escape FHEV easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Escape FHEV has a much larger cargo volume than the Santa Fe Hybrid with its rear seat up (34.4 vs. 14.6 cubic feet).

An optional locking center console keeps your small valuables safer in the Escape FHEV. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The Escape FHEV can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Escape FHEV can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Santa Fe Hybrid can’t be towed flat on the ground.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Escape FHEV’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Santa Fe Hybrid doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Bluelink can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Escape FHEV’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The Santa Fe Hybrid’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Ford Escape outsold the Hyundai Santa Fe by 26% during 2024.